Electric-lamp socket.



PATBNTBD PEB. 17,1903.

- M. NORDEN.

ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET. APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1902.

No MODEL.

UNiTnn STATES PATENT otros.

MORTIMER N ORDEN OF NEW' YORK, Y., ASSIGN OR TO THE NORDEN- BITTNER. ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC-LAMP SOCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 720,953, dated February 17, 1903. Application lod May 12, 1902. Serial No. 106,916. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, Moerman NoRDnN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Electric-Lamp Sockets,of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to sockets for electric lamps, especially those employed in surface wiring-that is, where the wires aresecured in strips of Wood and the sockets are placed at the intersections of strips or along in a length between strips, the sockets being secured to a Wall or other suitable foundation. Heretofore it has been usual in this form of Wiring to secure the entire socket-s in position at the time of placing the electric wires in the Wooden strips, and when finishing up Work in a structure these sockets were often in the Way, and when making repairs it frequently became necessary to remove these sockets, and so disturb the electric Wires.

The object of my invention is to overcome these diliiculties.

In carrying out my invention the socket proper is composed of two parts-that is, a

cup-shaped part and a base. The cup-shaped part is formed to inclose or extend over the base and to lit between the ends of the Wooden strips receiving the Wires and to substantially continue the continuity thereof, and in the operation of wiring the bases are secured between the strips, and these bases do not extend out from the foundation or Wall to any greater extent than the strips holding the wires, and the cup-shaped parts may be passed over and secured in place thereto ready to receive the lamps at any timev that Work is in progress or after the same is done and just prior to the use of the lamps for illuminating purposes. It Will therefore be apparent that the cup-shaped parts of thesocket are not onlynot in the Way of completing the Work of the stru cture,butdo not disturb Work that is already done and complete. The cup-shaped part of the socketis preferably circular at the portion receiving the electric lamp, and the base thereof is preferably squareV and of a width substantially agreeing with the Width of the Wooden strips receiving the electric-light Wires, and in putting up these strips their ends are left apart a predetermined distance, so as to just receive the square base of the cup of insulating material, so that when in place this cup substantially continues the continuity of the strips. The base is secured to the Wall or other foundation and provided with contact-plates secured thereto and to which the light-wires are con` nected, and which plates also serve for electrical and mechanical connection with the cup-shaped part of the socket by suitable screws passing through sleeves in said cupshaped part, and these lsleeves are so arranged that they are held in place by metal plates, which also serve for electric contact with the incandescent lamp and at the same time for holding in place in the cup-shaped part the metal socket, all of which is hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the drawings, Figures l and 2 are vertical sections through my improved electriclamp socket-in directions at right angles to one another. Fig. 8 isa sectional plan of the socket at the line so .n of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan at y y of Fig. l', the same showing the base in yplan and the square p0rtion of the cup-shaped part in section.

`The cup part osof the socket is of porcelain or other suitable insulating material, and I prefer to make the same with a circular top andsquare base, the one merging into the other. The squared end of the c up o, is recessed to receive the base b, also of porcelain or other suitable insulating material and preferably ofthe same material as the cup a, and I prefer to employ ribs 13 le upon the opposite inner faces of said recesses and grooves in the opposite sides of the base receiving said ribs, so that in putting the cup overthe base the alining devices of the respective parts are brought into position. In the center of the base b ahole is provided for a screw 2, by which the base is ksecured to a Wall or other suitable foundation. The base b is provided with parallel recesses A3 4t for the electric conductors c d. These recessesj' as shown, preferably have parallel Walls and a flattened V-base on account of their depth, and the squared end of the cup a is notched at opposite sides in line with said recesses, so

as to pass over the conducting-wires c d when the parts are connected. In recesses in said base b and at right angles to the recesses recetving the conducting-wires and which recesses extend in opposite directions from the recesses 3 4 toward and at opposite sides of the center of the base are placed contactplatesef, of metal, and the same are provided with upturned outer ends c f. These plates ef are secured to the base b by screws 5, that pass through the base from the under side and into said plates, so as to hold the plates securely in position in the recesses provided therefor. I provide binding-posts 6, screwing into the plates e f in approximately the central line of the recesses 3 4, and a short length of the insulating material of the con- -ductors c d is removed to bare the wires, and

these wires are either looped past the binding-screws or given a turn about the same, as desired, so that when the screws 6 are forced down to place the wires are brought into intimate contact with said plates e f, and the office performed by the upturned ends e' j" of said plates is to hold the bared conducting-wires to the binding-screws, especially when a complete turn about the said screws of said wires is not given.

In Figs. 2 and 4 the conducting-wire d is shown as completely about the binding-screw 6, while in Fig. 4 the conducting-wire c is shown as simply carried past the bindingscrew 6 and between the stem thereof and the upturned end f' of the plate f, so as to illustrate the two positions. I provide holes 7 in the plates e f, interiorly threaded and positioned in the centralline of the base, as will appear from Fig. 4.

The cup part a of the socket is provided with oset perforations 8 9 of different length and also in the central line of the cup a, as will appear by reference to Figs. l and 3. Offset sleeves g h are received in these perforations S 9, said sleeves having head portions coming against the offsets in the cup a and threaded ends that extend up into the open end of said cup part, and plates 701, with threaded apertures, receive the threaded ends of the offset sleeves. The headed ends of the sleeves are preferably provided with a slot or kerf for a screw-driver, and they are rotated so as to engage the threaded ends with the plates 7c Z in firmly securing the said parts in position.

The metal socket i for the incandescent lamp is received in the circular recess of the cup part ct, and this socket has a cut-away portion or recess l2 to receive one end of the plate 7c and provide a space over said plate, so that there can be no electric contact or such proximity of metal parts as would permit the current to pass. The bottom of the cup-shaped part in this recess is divided so that there are two portions at different levels,

the plate 7a resting upon the higher part, and this metal socket is made with a fiat base i', filling the lower portion of thebottorn of the socket and about one-half of the surface thereof, and the plate Z rests upon this base fi', the -socket 'L' and base z" being directly held vin place in the cup a by the screwing together of the offset sleeve h and the plate l, and itl will be apparent that these parts are readily separable.

Screws lO and 1l, with their headscountersunk in the upper ends of the sleeves g h, pass down' through .said sleeves, and their threaded lower ends pass into the interiorlythreaded holes 7 in the contact-plates c f, and because of the rib structure 13 14 the apertures in the sleeves g and h and the holes 7 are brought directly into alinement for the reception of the screws l0 and 1l when the cup part a, is put over the base b, and these screws 10 and 1l positively and securely connect the cu p-shaped part to the base preparatory to the reception of the incandescent lamp and also complete the metallic line for the electric current. l

The socket of my present invention is not only strong and simple, but is especially adapted for the use for which it is intended. It is composed of comparatively few parts. These are interchangeable and readily assembled, and the cup portion and the parts connected therewith are readily connected to or disconnected from the base carrying the electric conductors and which are secured to the wall or other suitable foundation.

I claim as my inventionl. An electric-lamp socket, comprising a cup portion and a base,means for securing the base to a wall or other foundation, means for determining the position said parts are to occupy with reference to one another, devices removably connected to the base and receiving and forming electric contact with the conducting-wires, devices connected to the cup for holding the metal socket thereof in position and for facilitating electric contact with the base of the lamp, and other independent devices associated therewith for forming both mechanical and electrical contact with the devices of the base, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric-lamp socket, the combination with a base and devices connected therewith for receiving and forming mechanical and electrical contact with the conductingwires, a screw for securing the base to a wall or other suitable foundation, a cup-shaped IOO IIO

devices of the base whereby the cup-shaped part is held mechanically and also electrically to the base, substantially as set forth.

3. An electric-lamp socket comprising a circular base having grooves and a centralscrevv for connecting the same to a Wall or other suitable foundation, a cup-shaped part circular at one end and square at its lower end and at which end there is a recess receiving the base so that the cup-shaped part extends over the base when in position, and the squared portion of the base is adapted to contact with the ends of strips receiving the electric Wires to substantially continue the continuity thereof, and devices connected to the cup-shaped portion for holding the metal socket in place and the cup-shaped portion to the base, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination in an electric -lamp socket, with a cup-shaped member, of a base having parallel recesses for the reception of the conducting-wires, other parallel recesses at right angles to the aforesaid recesses and extending therefrom toward and past the center of the base, plates and means for secur-` ing the same in said recesses, and bindingscrews for connecting the conducting-Wires to said contact-plates, devices connected to the cup-shaped part and passing through the same and engaging the said contact-plates for securing the cup-shaped part to the base and at the same time providing a path for the electric current, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination in an electric lamp socket with a cup-shaped member, 0f a base having parallel recesses for the reception of the conducting-Wires, other parallel recesses at right angles to the aforesaid recesses and extending therefrom toward and past the center of the base, plates and means for securing the same in said recesses, and bindingscrews for connecting the conducting-Wires to said contact-plates, devices connected to the cup-shaped part and passing through the same and engaging the said contact-plates for securing the cup-shaped part to the hase and at the same time providing a path for the electric current, and grooves in opposite sides of the base, and ribs on opposite sides of the cup-shaped portion fitting said grooves for predetermining the position of the base `with reference to the cup-shaped part, substan-v tially as set forth.

6. In an electricdamp socket, the combination With a base, means for securing the same to a wall or other suitable foundation, means for receiving the conducting-wires and plates to which they are secured mechanically and electrically, of a cup-shaped part, a metal socket having a recess 12 on one side and a' substantially semicircular iat base t" on the opposite sid e, offset Sleeves extending through the cup-shaped part and plates 79E to which said odset sleeves are secured, for holding the metal socket in place and simultaneously forming a central contact for the incandescent lamp, and screws passing through said offset sleeves and engaging the plates of the base, substantially as set forth.

7. In an-electric-lamp socket, the combination with a base, means for securing the same to a Wall or other suitable foundation, means for receiving the conducting-Wires and plates to which they are secured mechanically and electrically, of a cup-shaped'part, a metal socket having a recess 12 on one side and a substantially semicircular iat base il on the opposite side, offset sleeves extending through the cup-shaped part and plates la Z to which said offset sleeves are secured for holding the metal socket in place and simultaneously forming a central contact for the incandescent lamp, screws passing through said odset sleeves and engaging the plates of the base, one end of the cup-shaped portion having a recess receiving the base, and ribs at opposite points fitting grooves in the peripheryv of the base so as to predetermine the position of the cup-shaped portion with reference to the base so as to aline the screws passing through the odset sleeves with the parts of the plates of the base to-receive the same, substantially as set forth.

8. An electric-lamp socket comprising a base of suitable insulating material having grooves for the conducting-wires, contactplates e f received in recesses in said base and secured thereto, and binding-screws connected with said plates with which the conducting-Wires make contact, and a cup-shaped part circular at the end having the lampsocket and square at the opposite end, and provided with a recess at said end receiving the bottom of the lamp-socket having parts at dierent levels and the cup-shaped part having offset perforations at opposite sides of the center, offset sleeves received in said perforations, a plate 7i; engaged by the odset sleeve g and lying upon the higher surface at the base of the socket for contact with the center of the lamp, a metal socket, a liat base t" thereto of substantially semicircular form and lying against the deepest part of the base of the socket, a plate Z extending over the base t and engaged by the offset sleeve h,

whereby the metal socket is held in place, and

screws passing through said offset sleeves and engaging the plates of the base, substantially as set forth.

Signed'by me this 7th day of May, 1902. r MORTIMER NORDEN. Vitnesses: I

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, BERTHA. M. ALLEN.

IIO 

